Hi, I just thought I would ask the question. Do people of thought on the liturgy of Tenebrae. For a while I experienced it as the liturgy following the stripping of the altar on Maundy Thursday and found it very moving and challenging. I know it is not in BCP (1662), however I was wondering what others thought. It was once very common in these parts but now seems to have fallen into disuse.
Liturgically its interesting, but I find it a bit long. I acolyted one once and found it harder and harder to read as the service progressed. There was something "tenebraeish" we did in the Methodist Church I attended as a kid and I believe it was from the Book of Worship.
Our Rector put together a Tenebrae style liturgy for Good Friday this year - we hosted a joint service with the Methodist/United Reformed congregation. I too found it a very moving experience...the music was a mixture of Gregorian chant and congregational hymns. It was very striking how the Psalms tied in with the readings and the extinguishing of the candles was very dramatic in the dim, stark church stripped of its usual furnishings. In former years in my area we were more likely to have the Three Hours Devotion on Good Friday...our Cathedral Church still does. As a musician who loves Baroque music, I particularly like the Tenebrae settings by Francois Couperin.
We had this at out local Episcopal parish, it was wonderfully moving if a little dim due to the candles being extinguished. I should have sat up front as was suggested!